Making A Home
by coffeemuse
Summary: "Castle, I didn't come in here to seduce you. Your over active imagination is showing again." "Wishful thinking," He corrects. She rolls her eyes at him. "Although," She starts, her voice dropping a little lower, that sexy rasp that she does so very well. "I guess we could celebrate this..."
1. Chapter 1

_Set some time in the near future..._

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><p>She's a little breathless. It hitches in her lungs, burns like running a marathon in winter. She may be forgetting to breathe now. . . and after a moment, she realizes, feeling the ache in her lungs, she opens her mouth and sucks in a slow gust of air and blows it out just as slow. She sits indian style in their bathroom, her back resting against the porclin tub. Her hair falls over her shoulders, the sides of it pinned back. Little strands tickle her face and that seems to bring her back to reality. She blows the wisps out of the way and shakes her head a little, a small ghost of a laugh escapes her and she manages to stand up on shakey legs. She stands there a moment, assimilating the situation. She clutches the stick in her hand, mindlessly runs her finger over the ridges of the handle. She needs this moment to compose herself. To get the words right in her head. After all, how many times do you tell your husband you're pregnant for the first time?<p>

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><p>Kate exits the bathroom and pads through their bedroom to head to Castle's study where he's been for the last few hours writing his new book. He's done with the Nikki Heat series, (for now, he says) and for the last year and a half, he's been working on some big secret project that even Kate herself doesn't know about. It bothers her, not knowing. She teases him about if from time to time. He usually just brushes it off, changes the topic, but she's certain she'll get it out of him before too long. . .<p>

She pops her head in through the door frame and then easily rests her entire body against it. Her pinned up hair has fallen a little, hangs over her ears, little strands threatening to fall out completely. She looks disheveled, she thinks. Caught a glimps of herself in the mirror as she was walking out. But Castle looks up at her, feeling her presence, and smiles so radiantly at her that her own face cracks open in a brilliant smile, disheveled or not, he always makes her feel beautiful.

"Hey," he says, looking down to quickly type something on his laptop.

"Hey yourself," she throws back. She walks into the room casually, her long legs carrying her towards her husband's desk. Her hands are buried in the back pockets of her faded, ripped jeans. The pregnancy test nestled in her front pocket, her long flowy shirt covering it completely.

He shifts his eyes up to her, his fingers halt on the keyboard and he squints at her. He sits back in his office chair and swivels around to face her as she rounds his desk, appearing in front of him. She leans back against it and laces her fingers together in her lap.

"What're you up to?" She asks him. She cuts her eyes to the screen in hopes to catch something to give away what he's been so diligently working on for the last eighteen months but he closes the computer lid before she can see anything. She huffs out a laugh. "Alright, fine. Fine. Be Mr. Secret Writer. See if I care."

"Oh, but you _do_ care, detective. Otherwise you wouldn't have sauntered in here trying to gather information about it."

"I did not _saunter_ in here, Castle. Your over active imagination is getting the best of you. Maybe you should take a break." She says, slightly cocking her head to the side. She licks her lips and brings her lower lip into her mouth and captures it between her teeth.

"Did you come in here and break my writing concentration to seduce me, Kate?" He asks, his voice a teasing tone. "Not that I'm complaining, but you're not playing fair."

"Not playing fair?" She questions, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"You think you can come in here and seduce me, get me away from my computer, take advantage of my body, and then slip back in here later and-"

"Castle," she laughs, cutting him off. "I didn't come in here to seduce you. Your over active imagination is showing again."

"Wishful thinking," He corrects. She rolls her eyes at him.

"Although," She starts, her voice dropping a little lower, that sexy rasp that she does so very well. "I guess we _could_ celebrate..."

"Celebrate," He echoes a little taken back. "Well," he grins. "The book isn't going to be done for a while, but I guess we _could_ celebrate early." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at her and she can't help but chuckle.

"Yeah? We could do that. Or," she says, reaching into her pocket. "We could celebrate this."

She lays the pregnancy test on the desk in front of him. Castle's eyes follow her hand as she does so, and when he realizes what it is, sees the bright pink plus sign, his face drops and he goes silent. Kate's body slumps and she feels like she's back in the bathroom reliving the experience of finding out for the first time all over again.

"Castle?" She gauges his face for a reaction, anything to give away what he's feeling. But he sits there quietly staring at it.

"Kate?" He breathes out.

"We did it, Castle."

"I'll say." He chokes back the emotion that's caught in his throat and Kate grins childishly at him.

He stares at her, his smile so big and deep, the corners of his eyes crinkle. She loves that smile. "Oh, Kate, we did it."

He stands up, plants his hands on her hips and leans in to kiss her. After there lips linger together for a moment, he rests his forehead against hers, relishing in the moment, taking it all in and letting it settle. They've been married for a year now and just recently starting talking about having kids together. It started off as a little conversation here or there, but just recently the conversations had gotten heavier, deeper, and they really delved in and decided that it was time.

Kate takes the opportunity to open her eyes. His own are closed and he's got a serene smile lingering on his face. She studies him for a moment, her own smile on her face growing as it all sinks in. Months and months of trying and she's finally going to be a mom . . .to have a family with the man she's breathtakingly in love with. . .

"Castle?" Kate whispers, her breath hot against his lips. He opens his eyes, blue and shinning and so incredibly happy.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go celebrate."

And so they do.

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><p><strong>I have a couple more chapters of this if anyone's interested? If not, I'll leave it up as a oneshot. :)<strong>

**Happy almost-Castle-Monday!**

**XO,  
>CM<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

It's Monday morning and Kate's eyes open, heavy and tired. She begrudgingly turns her head to see the clock on her nightstand. Seven AM. Her alarm hasn't even gone off yet. She contemplates rolling over and going back to sleep for another hour, the warmth of the bed already lulling her back to sleep, but the faint voices coming from the other room sends curiosity coursing through her and she decides to get up. She sits up slowly, swings her legs over the edge of the bed and pulls her tangled hair up into a messy bun. She breathes in slowly, and waits for the nausea to pass. She's lucked out with the morning sickness. She hasn't thrown up yet, but the feeling is with her every morning and often sticks with her through out the day. She huffs as she stands up. Her night shorts have bunched up and the elastic band has twisted; her shirt is somehow tucked in on one side, so she takes a minute to straighten herself out before sneaking into the living room.

Castle and Alexis stand by the entry way whispering when Kate appears. She smiles at the younger girl and she waves back in response. As Kate nears them, Alexis hugs her father and swiftly exists the loft. Castle turns to his wife, who's arms are crossed and eyebrows furrowed, as she comes to stand by him.

He kisses her forehead as he walks by. "Morning," he calls over his shoulder as he makes his way to the kitchen.

"Morning," Kate answers back absent-mindedly. "Hey, Castle?" She says, walking toward him. He pops his head out of the refrigerator to look at her.

"Is...Alexis okay?"

He steps out from between the open fridge door and lets it slam shut. He turns to look at Kate.

"Yeah. Why?"

She watches him for a minute, her lips pursed to hold back a smile. Castle's arms are full of ingredients, looks like he's making his famous breakfast buritos, and he stumbles over himself to get to the counter to set everything down.

She pulls out a bar stool and sits, rests her head in the palm of her hand, still watching him.

"She seemed to get outta here pretty quickly when she saw me," She says, her eyes roaming over everything Castle has out.

"Castle? The red peppers."

He snaps his fingers, and twirls on his heels to go back to the fridge to get them, mentally admonishing himself for forgetting them. Ever since she got pregnant, she's had a thing about bell peppers in her burrito. . .and just about everything else.

"She's meeting up with a friend who's leaving to go out of town today," Castle tells her, bringing the topic back to Alexis. "And then I think she has class at nine."

Kate bites her bottom lip nodding. Castle sighs as he fires up the stove.

"It's not you, Kate, stop it."

"Yeah, but, Castle.." She asseverates, sitting up straight. "She's been acting funny around me since she found out about the baby. I just. . . She's my step-daughter, Rick. I love her like my own, I always have. I don't want this to be weird between us. I don't want this to push her away from me. . .from you, from _us_."

Castle stops what he's doing, rests his hands against the edge of the counter, leaning towards her. "Kate," She rolls her eyes, looking away, knowing she's being a little over dramatic. They've been through this before, but it still concerns her. "You're not pushing her away. Yeah, maybe she needs time to adjust to being an older sister, but she'll come around. She adores you. You know that."

"I know," Kate sighs. "But, Castle, it's been three months. Shouldn't she already be. . .adjusted?"

"Well," He begins, dicing the peppers and tossing them in the pan. "Maybe she's adjusted and you're just being an overly-hormonal-over-dramatic mess?"

She glares at him. "You're lucky you're making my food right now, or I'd jump this counter. . ."

"And do what? Belly bump me?"

"Yeah, belly bump you right out of the kitchen because you're taking forever." She says standing up and heading towards the other side of the loft.

"Where are you going? Are you getting a head start so you can clear the counter?"

"Very funny, Castle," she calls over her shoulder.

"Hey, Kate?"

She stops and turns to face him, half expecting another smart ass comment from him. "Yeah?"

"Maybe when you get home today, you can take Alexis out baby shopping with you? Talk to her. You'll feel better."

She stares at him in consideration, and then smiles. "Yeah. Okay. Good idea." And with that, she vanishes into the bedroom.

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><p>It's almost noon when Kate shoves all of her paperwork into a file and sets it aside on her desk. The nausea is making it's way up and down her esophagus, causing her to almost dry-heave. And although she's only been awake for five hours, tiredness webs it's self through her hooded eyes. It's definitely time to call it a day and head home. . .<p>

As Kate stands to toss her work bag over her shoulder, Esposito comes in. He makes his way to his desk setting down what looks like case-files and a cup of coffee that's from Kate's favorite corner cart and she can't help the evil glare that comes from within her. It's not _his_ fault she can't have coffee for another 6 months. . .but still.

Espo cuts his eyes over to her, feeling the haunting stare that's coming from her direction. His eyes fall back to his coffee and he quickly tries to hide it behind anything he can get his hands on. Kate almost snorts out a laugh watching him animatedly fling papers across his desk trying to hide it from her.

"Espo, it's fine. You don't have to hide your coffee from me. I'm not going to break out into the Coffee Hulk and take you out, I promise."

"I, no, that's not-what? I was just..." He stutters. He's trying to play it off as if Kate hadn't noticed for the last 3 and a half months that him and Ryan both have been careful not to have coffee around her. It's sweet, really, but it's a little unnecessary. Castle doesn't even hide it from her. Actually, now that she thinks about it, she really hasn't seen him with a cup of coffee in a while. The loft hasn't smelled like it in a while either. . .

She shakes her head at him as she walks by. "I'm heading home. If you guys figure anything out, let me know?"

Espo nods his head. "Early day?"

"Yeah, feeling a little sick is all. Plus I have a somewhat of a date I need to go and get ready for."

"Castle taking you out again? Man, that kid's not even born yet and it's already spoiled."

Kate grins "That's...true, but I have a date with Little Castle tonight."

Espo threads his eyebrows together and shoots his eyes down to Kate's barely-extended belly.

"Oh," Kate laughs, "I guess she's Middle Castle now, huh?"

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><p><strong>TBC...<strong>

***Thank you for the reviews and story alerts. Makes me feel like I'm not a _completely_ horrible 'writer'. :') **

**XO,  
>CM<strong>


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